How Reliable and Popular are Trabeculectomy Videos on Youtube?

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Education
• Digital Health

Background:

• YouTube is a popular source for health information.
• Trabeculectomy is a critical surgical procedure for glaucoma management.
• Assessing the quality of online health content is crucial for patient understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the quality, dependability, and popularity of YouTube videos concerning trabeculectomy surgery.
• To compare video characteristics based on uploader type (doctors, institutions, patients).

Main Methods:

• Conducted a simulated YouTube search for trabeculectomy videos.
• Analyzed 100 videos using DISCERN, JAMA, and Global Quality (GQ) criteria for reliability.
• Assessed video popularity using the Video Power Index (VPI).

Main Results:

• The majority of analyzed trabeculectomy videos were rated as fair in quality.
• Videos uploaded by doctors scored higher on quality metrics (DISCERN, JAMA, GQ) than patient-uploaded videos.
• Patient-uploaded videos and non-surgical videos showed higher popularity (VPI, likes, comments).

Conclusions:

• Highly popular YouTube videos on trabeculectomy surgery often exhibit lower information quality and reliability.
• There is a need for more understandable and reliable video content for patients seeking information on trabeculectomy surgery.